Commander of Japan's carrier forces from November 1942 through the remainder of the war. Ozawa, who's nickname was 'The Gargoyle', was commonly regarded as one of the three ugliest admirals in the Navy. He also happened to be a fine commander, compassionate towards his men, and unselfish in his operational planning. It was his ill fate to be the commander of a fleet that was doomed, through a combination of logistical, technological, and training inferiorities, to lose an uninterrupted series of battles to the ever-expanding American naval forces. His fleet ended its combat career off of the Phillipines as nothing more than a bait force, flight decks empty for lack of planes and pilots. Nevertheless, Ozawa played his role intelligently and professionally until the end.

C. Peter Chen:

After the war, US Navy officers who interrogated him commented that he was 'an officer of impressive personality, dignified presence, and thoughtful habit of mind. While his memory for fine detail was not always precise his opinions were considered of the highest value.' The interrogation also reflected his opinion against starting a war against the United States back in 1941.